An Epic Trip Through Japan!

Usagi Electric
Usagi Electric
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Published 2024-07-28
And now for something completely different. I’ve been going pretty hard at work lately, so it was time for a little time off, and what better way than to hop on a plane for the most wildly perfect country in the world. Hop on along with us as we see some historically significant computers, do some pretty righteous thrifting, and go on a road trip through the most beautiful countryside you’ll ever see.

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www.patreon.com/usagielectric

Also, we now have some epic shirts for sale!
my-store-11554688.creator-spring.com/

Come join us on Discord!
Discord: discord.gg/p7UsfHD

Intro Music adapted from:
Artist: The Runaway Five
Title: The Shinra Shuffle
ocremix.org/remix/OCR01847

All other music from:
Artist: Ben Prunty
Album: Chromatic T-Rex

Thanks for watching!

Chapters
0:00 Time to Relax
0:35 Welcome to Japan!
1:29 Heavy metal at the Tokyo University of Science
2:42 The Bendix G-15
5:20 The Facom 201 (and some terrible audio)
7:56 The Univac 120
9:46 A small retro computer get-together
10:40 Sean’s Multi8
11:29 Curt’s TK85
12:29 Tom’s MSX
13:23 Sven’s custom adapter
14:06 Michelle’s NEC PC-9801
14:50 A little thrifting montage
19:29 My haul
22:05 Makidou Caves
22:40 Bihoku Circuit
24:27 Okayama Omurice
24:52 Kurashiki Bikan
25:38 Fukuyama Auto and Clock Museum
27:25 Matsuyama City
28:21 Oda Miyama Gorge
29:24 Nakatsu Gorge
30:13 Awajishima Monkey Center
31:28 Nara Park
33:07 Sunny kun!
All Comments (21)
  • @ActionRetro
    Sometimes you just gotta get away. Smashing.
  • @CathyInBlue
    Absolutely Nobody: Name three enthusiasms that have absolutely no overlap. Also nobody: Vintage computers, rabbit keeping, and Japanese culture. Usagi Electric: Hi!
  • @santherstat
    I always forget that David used to be a translator for Japanese. Makes the museum segments easy lol
  • @MegaMoto85
    Haircut and The offspring, alright let's go.
  • @PaulBaker85
    Disappointed that the intro didn't immediately launch into 'Nitro (Youth Energy)'...
  • @tony359
    Amazing journey, thanks for showing us the geeky side but also the natural side!
  • @BrainboxccGames
    what an interesting trip, so much big iron and so much computers!
  • @mutzbunny
    you know its kinda interesting, you rave about how beautiful the countryside of japan is. and it really is. but you also say sometimes how hard it is to get to the actually very pretty spots. I live in switzerland, i have countryside like that litterally infront of my door, and it kinda makes me so happy to live here. the japanese landscape and also japanese roadwork really looks similar to what we have over here
  • @RoyEltham
    Beautiful! I really want to visit Japan some day. Also, lots of very cool retro tech. Looking forward to the vids on that calculator!
  • @bw6378
    Haircut?!?!?! lol Thanks for the video.
  • @mattelder1971
    I lived in Yokosuka in the early 90s while I was in the Navy, and made frequent trips to the Akihabara district of Tokyo. I was always looking around the used electronics shops and looking at the amazing Japanese computer systems that I'd never seen before. I remember the Hard-Off stores!
  • @Nichetronix
    David, that was great. Thank you for sharing it. Now, I want to go!
  • @fritzkinderhoffen2369
    Love the plugboards in the Univac 120. I have a bunch of IBM type 912 plugboards and they are similar. My dad programed them using jumpers back in the 60s at Collins Radio. He laughed when he saw one had a metallic cover plate securing the jumpers and said they were the only thing that kept other employees from taking his plates and altering them for their own uses. From the serial number of the board in front of me I'd say they weren't scarse.
  • @nezbrun872
    Second hand electronics in Japan is generally in very good condition IME, but, exactly as you say, the logistics of getting your haul home does temper the appetite! For radio amateurs looking for an excuse to go to Japan, I can solidly recommend JARL's HAM Fair, an annual event in August, with lots of rare second hand ham radio gear in superb condition.
  • @SeishukuS12
    Epic. One of these days I'll visit Japan, it's something I've always wanted to do.
  • @Otakunopodcast
    20 years ago (time sure flies...) my partner and I went to Japan on a tour package. Back then I wasn't as into vintage computers and gaming as I am now, so I didn't go to any computer/hardware type places (also while our tour schedule did offer some flexibility, there just wouldn't have been enough time to go to every place I would have wanted to go.) I was (and still am) a huge anime fan though, so we did find some time to traipse through Akiba, which was absolutely amazing. (although since I wasn't as into retro back then, I didn't go to any of the retro gaming/hardware type stores like HARD-OFF, BEEP, etc.) It was the first, and so far only, time, I have ever traveled beyond my local area, and I had the time of my life, and I so desperately want to go back, especially now that I am into retro, and after watching videos such as yours and retrobits' (another YouTuber.)